Poultry chiller having an integral sump compartment

ABSTRACT

A chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated whole birds and the like, includes a tank having a bird outlet end, a bird inlet end, an inlet end plate, an outlet end plate, and a water reservoir between the ends. The poultry chiller also includes water circulation means for introducing water into the reservoir at the bird outlet end of the tank, draining water at the bird inlet end of the tank, and forming a movement of water generally from the bird outlet end toward the bird inlet end of the tank. The chiller further includes a motive device for urging the birds from the bird inlet end to the bird outlet end of the tank, the motive device being in driven relationship with a power means. A transverse wall having a lower portion, a central portion, and a top edge, is disposed at the bird inlet end of the tank substantially parallel to the inlet end plate such that a sump is formed between the lower portion of the transverse wall and the inlet end plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/350,443 filed Jan. 24, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,886.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to poultry chillers for reducingthe temperature of whole birds after the birds have been eviscerated ona poultry processing line. More particularly, the invention relates to asump compartment formed integrally with the poultry chiller.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is desirable to reduce the temperature of chickens and other types ofpoultry after the birds have been processed, or defeathered, evisceratedand are otherwise oven-ready before the birds are packaged for deliveryto the retail customer. A conventional poultry chiller 10, as shown inFIG. 1, is the “auger-type” poultry chiller 10 which includes atrough-shaped, half-round tank 12 filled with cold water in which anauger 20 provides positive movement of the birds through the tank 12.The cooling effect for the water and the birds was originally providedby crushed ice added to the water. As shown in FIG. 2, later designsinclude a counter-flow recirculation of the chilled water through thetank 12 with the water being chilled by a refrigerated heat exchanger 24instead of using ice. The water is introduced at one end of the tank 12,the outlet end 16, and flows progressively to the other end, the inletend 14, where it is recirculated through the heat exchanger 24. In themean time, the birds are continually delivered to the inlet end 14 ofthe tank 12 and moved under the influence of the rotating auger 20 inthe counter-flow direction and are lifted from the outlet end 16 of thetank 12 for further processing. A prior art poultry chiller of thisgeneral type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,000, and a heatexchanger for the water refrigeration system suitable for this purposeis shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,470.

As noted, chilled water is added to the tank 12 at the outlet end 16,where the birds have been chilled and are being lifted out of the tank12. The water flows in the opposite direction of movement of the birdsand the auger 20 of the tank 12, thereby insuring that the birds arealways flowing into the cleanest and coldest water and that there isalways a temperature drop between the temperature of each bird and thetemperature of the water about each bird.

During operation, the recirculation pump 22 removes the warmer waterfrom the inlet end 14 of the tank 12. As shown in FIG. 2, a suctionheader 30 connects the inlet of recirculation pump 22 to a sump 26. Thesump 26 is positioned at an overflow recess in the sidewall of thechiller tank 12 and is below the typical operational water level withinthe tank 12. A typical sump can measure about 4 feet high and from 2 to4 feet in width. The sump 26 helps to insure that the inlet of thesuction header 30 does not become blocked by birds in the tank and thatadequate chill water is present for the recirculation pump 22 tomaintain proper suction. A suction valve 42 is disposed in the suctionheader 30 in close proximity to the sump 26. The outlet of recirculationpump 22 discharges the chill water into a fill header 32 that includes aheat exchanger 24 for chilling the water. After having passed throughthe heat exchanger 24, the chill water continues down the fill header 32and enters the tank 12 at the outlet end 16. A fill valve 44 is disposedin the fill header in close proximity to the tank 12.

Side mounted sumps, such as the sump 26, tend to cause operationalproblems in typical chillers 10. For example, although the warmer waterside discharge opening in the wall of tank 12 that is in fluidcommunication with the side mounted sump 26 is typically rather large,and the sump is approximately 2 to 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall, it ispossible for birds to migrate to this portion of the tank 12 wall and besucked up against the edge of the opening without passing through theopening. If enough birds migrate to the opening into the side mountedsump 26, partial blockage of the access of recirculation water to thesuction header 30 can occur. In turn, the performance of therecirculation pump 22 is affected in that chill water flow ratethroughout the poultry chiller 10 is reduced. Eventually, the birds willbe urged away from the opening to the side mounted sump 26 by the outerperiphery of an oncoming flight of the auger 20. However, because full360° flights on typical augers 20 are frequently longitudinallydisplaced by 4 feet or more and the auger 20 rotated on the order of 1turn every 4 minutes, the birds partially blocking the side mounted sump26 inlet can remain there for extended periods of time prior to beingdisplaced and the reduced flow of recirculation water continues.

Also, as previously noted, the chill water becomes progressively warmeras it moves from the outlet end 16 to the inlet end 14 of the tank 12.Generally, the temperature of the water in front of a flight is colderthan the water behind the flight, as much as 2° F. As the auger 20rotates, the last auger flight funnels water into the side mounted sump26 sometimes from in front of the flight and other times from behind theflight as the flight passes by the warmer water side discharge opening.This means that when the individual flight 20A funnels water into theside mounted sump primarily from behind the individual flight 20A, theinlet temperature of chill water at the heat exchanger 24 will be warmerthan when the majority of water funneled into the side mounted sump 26is from in front of the individual flight 20A. These temperaturevariations mean that frequent adjustments must be made to the heatexchanger 24 to maintain a constant chill water temperature in the fillheader 32.

To maintain proper sanitary conditions, poultry chillers 10 typicallyare cleaned on a daily basis. As shown in FIG. 2, prior art poultrychillers 10 include a clean-up tank 28 that holds cleaning solution thatis used for cleaning the chill water circulation system of the poultrychiller 10 during shut down of the chiller. Usually, the clean-up tank28 can be mounted either to the side of the poultry chiller 10 in amanner similar to that of the sump 26, or it may be free standing.Clean-up tanks 28 typically are on the order of 300 to 500 gallons andare connected to the chill water system by a recirculation header 34 andcontrol valves 46 and 48. As shown in FIG. 2, a first portion 34 a ofthe recirculation header 34 taps into the suction header 30 between thesuction valve 42 and the recirculation pump 22. A recirculation suctionvalve 46 is used to either line up or isolate the clean-up tank 28 fromthe suction header 30. A second portion 34 b of the recirculation header34 taps into the fill header 32 upstream of the fill valve 44 andincludes the recirculation fill valve 48 that can be used to either lineup or isolate the clean-up tank 28 from the fill header 32.

To clean the poultry chiller 10, the tank 12 is drained of water andbirds and cleaning personnel clean the auger 20 and the inside of thetank 12 with hot water and cleaning solution under high pressure. Thechill water system is cleaned by shutting the suction valve 42 and thefill valve 44 to isolate the chill water system from the tank 12. Amixture of cleaning solution and hot water is mixed in the clean-up tank28 by cleaning personnel. The clean-up tank 28 is then aligned with thechill water system by opening the recirculation suction valve 46 and therecirculation fill valve 48. The recirculation pump 22 is now aligned totake suction off the clean-up tank 28, thereby pumping the solution ofhot water and cleaning solution through the suction header 30,recirculation pump 22, heat exchanger 24, fill header 32, and therecirculation header 34. Note however, the portion of the suction header30 disposed between the suction valve 42 and the side mounted sump 26,indicated by reference numeral 50, is not cleaned during recirculationof the cleaning solution from the clean-up tank 28. As such, thisportion of the suction header 30 must be cleaned by cleaning personnel,as is the side mounted sump 26.

A number of problems are common to the side mounted sump 26 and theclean-up tank 28 when the clean-up tank 28 is mounted directly to theside of the tank 12. When mounted to the side of the tank 12, the sump26 and clean-up tank 28 interfere with the routine of the cleaningpersonnel, and take up space along the side of the poultry chiller 10which is frequently at a premium. Also, side-mounting the sump 26 andclean-up tank 28 can interfere with the placement of a cat walk (notshown) along the upper edge of the tank 12, as is common in themanufacture of poultry chillers 10. Also, manufacturing the sump 26 andthe clean-up tank 28 adds to the overall cost of producing the poultrychiller 10 in that the construction of the typically rectangular boxesrequires significant man hours. Additionally, because the clean-up tank28 is independent of the sump 26, the suction portion 34A of therecirculation header 34 and the recirculation inlet valve 46 arerequired. If a single tank were used that served both functions, acommon portion of suction piping and a single isolation valve could beused.

From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable tohave an integral sump compartment for use for with the poultry chillerthat can function as both a sump for the recirculation pump suction andas a clean-up tank. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in theindustry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, an embodiment of a poultry chiller for reducing thetemperature of previously eviscerated whole birds and the like, includesa tank having a bird outlet end, a bird inlet end, an inlet end plate,an outlet end plate, and a water reservoir between the ends. The poultrychiller also includes water circulation means for introducing water intothe reservoir of the tank at the bird outlet end of the tank, drainingwater at the bird inlet end of the tank, and forming a movement of watergenerally from the bird outlet end toward the bird inlet end of thetank. A motive device for urging the birds from the bird inlet end ofthe tank to the bird outlet end of the tank is included, the motivedevice being in driven relationship with a power means. A transversewall having a lower portion, a central portion, and a top edge isdisposed at the bird inlet end of the tank and is substantially parallelto the inlet end plate such that a sump is formed between the lowerportion of the transverse wall and the inlet end plate.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present poultrychiller will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art uponexamination of the following drawings and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe poultry chiller, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The poultry chiller can be better understood with reference to thefollowing drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarilyto scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating theprinciple of the poultry chiller. Moreover, in the drawings, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art poultry chiller.

FIG. 2 is a top view schematic diagram of a prior art poultry chiller.

FIG. 3 is a top view schematic diagram of a poultry chiller including anembodiment of an integral sump compartment in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bird inlet end of a poultry chillerincluding an embodiment of an integral sump compartment in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective partially cut-away view of a bird inlet endof a poultry chiller including an embodiment of an integral sumpcompartment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective partially cut-away view of a bird inlet endof a poultry chiller including an embodiment of an integral sumpcompartment in accordance with the present invention.

Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the poultrychiller as illustrated in the drawings. While the poultry chiller willbe described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent tolimit the poultry chiller to the embodiment or embodiments disclosedtherein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope ofthe poultry chiller as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now and more detailed to the drawings, in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 3 illustrates aschematic diagram of a poultry chiller 100 including an integral sumpcompartment 160, as viewed from the top. The poultry chiller 100includes a semi-cylindrical water reservoir or tank 102, an auger 120having a helical blade structure 124 disposed about an auger shaft 122,and a water circulation means, or chill water system 130.

The auger 120 is positioned longitudinally in the tank 102 and supportedat its opposing ends. An electric motor or other conventional powermeans (not shown) is provided to rotate the auger 120. The auger 120includes a helical blade structure 124 formed around the auger shaft122. During operation of the poultry chiller 100, birds are urged fromthe bird inlet end 104 of the tank 102 to the bird outlet end 106 of thetank 102 as the chill water flows in the opposite direction. As shown,the poultry chiller 100 includes an integral sump compartment 160,according to the present invention. The integral sump compartment 160 isdisposed between the inlet end plate 108 and the transverse wall 150.The above noted chill water system 130 includes a recirculation pump131, a heat exchanger 148, a suction header 136 having a suction valve142, a fill header 138 having a fill valve 144, and a recirculationheader 140 having a recirculation valve 146. The suction header 136takes suction from the integral sump compartment 160 and therecirculation header 140 is in fluid communication with both the fillheader 138 and the integral sump compartment 160, such that the contentsof the integral sump compartment 160 can be continually recirculated bythe recirculation pump 131.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a preferred embodiment of the transverse wall150 according to the present invention is shown. The transverse wall 150includes a lower portion 152, a central portion 154, and a top edge 156.The transverse wall 150 is disposed at the bird inlet end 104 of thepoultry chiller 100 such that the transverse wall 150 is substantiallyparallel to the inlet end plate 108. As shown, the outer periphery 155of the transverse wall 150 is substantially similar to the cross sectionof the tank 102. The lower portion 152 of the transverse wall forms awater-tight solid partition between the integral sump compartment 160(FIG. 3) and the remainder of the tank 102. The central portion 154 ofthe transverse wall 150 defines a water passage for allowing the freeflow of water from the portion of the tank 102 that includes the helicalblade structure 124 (FIG. 3) into the integral sump compartment 160. Aswell, the central portion 154 preferably includes an auger aperture 157configured to allow the auger shaft 122 to extend therethrough. Asshown, the water passage formed in the central portion 154 is comprisedof a plurality of apertures, such as radial slots, that allow the freeflow of water therethrough while preventing the passage of birds fromthe portion of the tank 102 that is used to chill the birds into theintegral sump compartment 160. As such, the central portion 154 preventsthe birds from potentially blocking the inlet to the suction header 136.Preferably, a stiffening member 158 is provided along the top edge 156to lend rigidity to the transverse wall 150. Support bars 151 can beused to help secure the transverse wall 150 within the tank 102.

FIG. 5 is perspective side view of the bird inlet end 104 of a poultrychiller 100 including a transverse wall 150. For ease of description, aside wall of the tank 102 has been omitted. Dashed line 103 indicates atypical water level in the poultry chiller 100 that is maintained whilechilling birds within the tank 102. As shown, the water level duringregular operations is maintained preferably above the auger shaft 122.Preferably, a substantial portion of the central portion 154 of thetransverse wall 150 is disposed below the normal water lever 103. Assuch, the transverse wall 150 does not impede the flow of water from thebird outlet end 106 (FIG. 3) to the bird inlet end 104 of the tank 102.Therefore, the recirculation pump 131 is able to take suction throughthe suction header inlet 137, which is disposed within that portion ofthe tank 102 that acts as the integral sump compartment 160.

Typically, poultry chillers 100 are cleaned daily, or after eachoperational run. First, the tank 102 is drained through the tank drain114. As shown, the tank drain 114 is disposed in the lower portion 152of the transverse wall 150 and extends through the integral sumpcompartment 160 and through the inlet end plate 108. The tank drain 114is not in fluid communication with the integral sump compartment 160,and therefore drains the entire tank 102 with the exception of thatportion disposed between the lower portion 152 of the transverse wall150 and the inlet end plate 108, which comprises the integral sumpcompartment 160. That portion of the tank 102 which functions as theintegral sump compartment 160 is indicated by dashed line 153.Preferably, the integral sump compartment 160 will have drain fittings(not shown) that allow the integral sump compartment 160 to be drainedindependently of the remainder of the tank 102. Numerous configurationsof the water passage through the central portion 154 are possible. Note,the surface level of the volume of water within integral sump portion160 will be determined by the lower most aperture of the water passage.

As shown, the tank drain 114 extends through the integral sumpcompartment 160 and is covered by a false bottom 118. The false bottom118 simplifies the cleaning of the integral sump compartment 160 byreducing the number of surfaces that can trap foreign matter. As well,the poultry chiller 100 includes deflector means for preventing birdsfrom entering the integral sump compartment 160 during operations, andthereby possibly blocking the suction header inlet 137. Duringoperations, it is possible for the helical blade structure 124 (FIG. 3)to urge a bird upwardly along the surface of the transverse wall 150,thereby increasing the risk that the bird will be pushed over the topedge 156 of the transverse wall 150 and into the integral sumpcompartment 160. Preferably, the deflector means, shown as a grill 159,can be disposed between the top edge 156 of the transverse 150 and theinlet end plate 108. The grill 159 not only prevents those birds thatare disposed in the chiller 100 from entering the integral sumpcompartment 160, but also prevents birds that are frequently moved abovethe poultry chiller 100 during production from being inveteratelydropped into the integral sump tank 160.

OPERATION

During a typical processing run for chilling birds, the birds are placedin the bird inlet end 104 of the poultry chiller 100 on the auger sideof the transverse wall 150. The auger 120 is rotated such that thehelical blade structure 124 engages the birds, thereby urging them fromthe bird inlet end 104 to the bird outlet end 106 of the poultry chiller100. As the birds are urged from the bird inlet end 104 to the birdoutlet end 106, chill water flows in the opposite direction. The counterflow of chilled water opposite to that of the birds insures that thebirds are always flowing in the cleanest and coldest possible chillwater, and that a temperature differential is always experienced by thebirds relative to the chill water as the birds move from the bird inletend 104 to the bird outlet end 106. Once the chill water has traveledthe length of the helical blade structure 124, it then flows through thewater passage in the transverse wall 150 and into the integral sumpcompartment 160. The chill water is then removed from the integral sumpcompartment 160 and recirculated back to the bird outlet end 106 of thepoultry chiller 100, where it is then reintroduced into the tank 102.The recirculation pump 131 takes suction on the chill water by way ofthe suction header 136, which includes a suction header inlet 139disposed in the integral sump compartment 160. The recirculation pump131 then discharges the chill water through a outlet 134 into the fillheader 138, which includes a heat exchanger 148 for regulating thetemperature of the chill water. From the heat exchanger 148, the chillwater travelers through the fill header 138 and into the bird outlet endof the tank 106. In this manner, chill water is continuouslyrecirculated through the poultry chiller 100 during routine chillingoperations.

In order to maintain sanitary operating conditions, poultry chillers 100are routinely cleaned. After a production run has been completed, anystraggler birds are removed from the chiller 100 and the tank 102 isdrained through the tank drain 114. In an preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, draining the tank 102 through the tank drain 114 willleave chill water remaining in the integral sump compartment 160, thatvolume of water being indicated in FIG. 5 by dashed line 153. Theintegral sump compartment 160 will also be drained through independentdrain valves (not shown) prior to cleaning the poultry chiller 100.After the tank 102 has been drained, clean-up personnel spray down thetank 102 and the auger 120 with hot water, to be followed by a rinsedown with cleaning solution, and a final rinse with water. The integralsump compartment 160 and chill water system 130 are cleaned byrecirculating cleaning solution through the chill water system 130 usingthe recirculation pump 131.

To clean the integral sump compartment 160 and chill water system 130,clean-up personnel place cleaning solution in the empty integral sumpcompartment 160 and then fill the remaining volume of the integral sumpcompartment 160 with the appropriate amount of hot water. The integralsump compartment 160 is filled until water starts to flow out of theintegral sump compartment 160 and into the tank 102 through the waterpassage of the central portion 154 of the transverse wall 150. After anadequate amount of cleaning solution and water has been mixed in theintegral sump compartment 160, the fill valve 144 is closed and therecirculation valve 146 is opened to align the outlet 134 of therecirculation pump 131 with the integral sump compartment 160. With thechill water system 130 piping so aligned, the recirculation pump 131 isstarted. Typically, the recirculation pump 131 is run for 30 to 40minutes, thereby recirculating cleaning solution through the suctionheader 136, the recirculation pump 131, the heat exchanger 148, aportion of the fill header 138, and the recirculation header 140. Afterthe cleaning solution has been circulated for an adequate amount oftime, the recirculation pump is secured and the cleaning solution isdrained from the integral sump compartment 160. The integral sumpcompartment 160 is then filled with fresh water which is thenrecirculated through the chill water system 130 to remove any residualcleaning solution. After draining the integral sump compartment 160, therecirculation valve 146 is closed and the fill valve 144 is opened,thereby realigning the fill header 138 with the bird outlet end 106 ofthe tank 102.

Preferred embodiments of the integral sump compartment 160 according tothe present invention offer a number of advantages over existingconfigurations of sumps and clean-up tanks. Because embodiments of thepresent integral sump tank 160 serve as both a sump for therecirculation pump 131 and as a clean-up tank, only the suction header136 is necessary for both normal chilling operations and clean-upoperations. Therefore, the present integral sump compartment 160 reducesthe amount of piping, fittings, and valves, required for theseoperations in existing systems. For example, existing clean up tanks 28(FIG. 2), whether side-mounted or remotely located from the tank 102,require at least one extra run of piping and one extra valve (34 a and46, respectively) in order to be aligned with a suction header, as shownin FIG. 2. Also, as described above, clean-up operations using theintegral sump compartment 160 clean the entire suction header 136. Thisreduces the expense and man hours required for clean-up operations inthat manual cleaning of portions of the suction header is not required,as in existing systems. Also, embodiments of the integral sumpcompartment 160 of the present invention do not interfere with theplacement of cat walks along the tank 102 and do not require excessfloor space because the integral sump compartment is disposed at thebird inlet end 104 of the tank 102. The water passage formed in thecentral portion 154 of embodiments of the transverse wall 150 alsocreates a larger water return area for the chill water system 130 thando existing side mounted sumps. Therefore, the likelihood that birdswill possibly block the water passage is reduced as is the potential forfluctuation of the inlet water temperatures to the heat exchanger 148.

Another preferred embodiment of a poultry chiller 100 having an integralsump compartment 160 includes an inlet chute 162 as shown in FIG. 6.Preferably, the inlet chute runs from the inlet end plate 108 to thetransverse wall 150 and assists in loading birds into the poultrychiller 100. As shown, the inlet chute 162 is separated from theintegral sump compartment 160 by a longitudinal wall 164 to preventbirds from entering the integral sump compartment 160.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent poultry chiller 100 having an integral sump compartment 160,particular, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples ofimplementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of theprinciples of the poultry chiller 100. Many variations and modificationsmay be made to the above-described embodiments of the poultry chiller100 without departing substantially from the spirit and principles ofthe poultry chiller 100. All such modifications and variations areintended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure ofthe poultry chiller 100 and protected by the following claims.

1. A process of chilling previously eviscerated whole birds comprising:providing an elongated tank having a bird inlet end and a bird outletend; filling said tank with water; depositing birds in the water at saidbird inlet end of said tank; moving the birds along said tank to saidbird outlet end of said tank; moving water from said bird outlet endtoward said bird inlet end of said tank; passing the water into a sumpin said bird inlet end of said tank; recirculating the water from saidsump through a heat exchanger back to said bird outlet end of said tank,and cleaning said heat exchanger by moving water from said sump throughsaid heat exchanger back to said sump.
 2. A process of chillingpreviously eviscerated whole birds comprising: providing an elongatedtank having a bird inlet end and a bird outlet end and a motive devicein the tank for moving the birds from the bird inlet end to the birdoutlet end; filling the tank with water; progressively depositing birdsin the bird inlet end of the tank; moving the birds with the motivedevice from the bird inlet end of the tank through the water in the tankto the bird outlet end of the tank; moving water from the bird outletend of the tank through the tank in counter flow relationship withrespect to the birds' movement through the tank and into a sump in thetank at the bird inlet end of the tank; retarding the movement of thebirds into the sump; progressively removing the birds from the birdoutlet end of the tank; recirculating the water from the sump through aheat exchanger to the bird outlet end of the tank, and filling the sumpwith a cleaning liquid and recirculating the cleaning liquid through thesump and the heat exchanger to clean the heat exchanger.
 3. A process ofchilling previously eviscerated whole birds comprising: providing anelongated tank having a bird inlet end and a bird outlet end and amotive device in the tank for moving the birds from the bird inlet endto the bird outlet end; filling the tank with water; progressivelydepositing birds in the bird inlet end of the tank; moving the birdswith the motive device from the bird inlet end of the tank through thewater in the tank to the bird outlet end of the tank; moving water fromthe bird outlet end of the tank through the tank in counter flowrelationship with respect to the birds' movement through the tank andinto a sump in the tank at the bird inlet end of the tank; retarding themovement of the birds into the sump; progressively removing the birdsfrom the bird outlet end of the tank; recirculating the water from thesump through a heat exchanger to the bird outlet end of the tank,terminating the depositing of birds in the tank; clearing the tank ofbirds; terminating the recirculating of water to the bird inlet end ofthe tank, draining the tank, and recirculating a cleaning liquid fromthe sump through the heat exchanger and back to the sump to clean theheat exchanger.
 4. A process of chilling previously eviscerated wholebirds comprising: providing an elongated tank having a bird inlet endand a bird outlet end and a motive device in the tank for moving thebirds from the bird inlet end to the bird outlet end; filling the tankwith water; progressively depositing birds in the bird inlet end of thetank; moving the birds with the motive device from the bird inlet end ofthe tank through the water in the tank to the bird outlet end of thetank; moving water from the bird outlet end of the tank through the tankin counter flow relationship with respect to the birds' movement throughthe tank and into a sump in the tank at the bird inlet end of the tank;retarding the movement of the birds into the sump; progressivelyremoving the birds from the bird outlet end of the tank; recirculatingthe water from the sump through a heat exchanger to the bird outlet endof the tank, wherein the step of moving water into the sump comprisespassing water over a water impervious lower portion of a transverse wallin the tank, and the step of retarding movement of the birds into thesump comprises retarding the movement of the birds into the sump with awater previous central portion of the transverse wall.
 5. A process ofchilling previously eviscerated whole birds comprising: providing anelongated tank and an auger in the tank; filling said tank with water;depositing birds in a bird inlet end of said tank; moving the birds withsaid auger from said bird inlet end to a bird outlet end of said tank;passing water over a water impervious lower portion of a transverse wallin said tank and into a sump in said bird inlet end of said tank;retarding movement of said birds into said sump with a water previouscentral portion of said transverse wall; removing the birds from saidbird outlet end of said tank; recirculating the water from said sumpthrough a heat exchanger to said bird outlet end of said tank;terminating the depositing of birds in said tank and the recirculatingof water; and recirculating the water from said sump through said heatexchanger and back to said sump to clean said heat exchanger.